I had originally intended to go straight to a nearby mountain to search for any hope of finding her physical body. However, my eyelids were so heavy from staying up for a day and a night that I could barely keep them open. Moreover, Su Jiandong hadn't specified a time for his arrival. If I went up the mountain and he happened to show up, things would get complicated.
Before the sun had risen, I lay down on my master's reclining chair, my mind racing with how to help Nannan retrieve her physical body.
The simplest method, of course, was to have Nannan tell me herself. That would be the fastest way, but the crucial point was that she didn't know she had "died." If it were an adult, it would be easier to handle without terrifying them. But for such a young child, if she were to hear this news, she might be scared to death, and then I'd have nowhere to turn.
The reclining chair rocked back and forth, and in my daze, I fell asleep. It felt like only two or three minutes had passed before I heard a drumming sound, bang bang, so loud it hurt my eardrums.
Fully awake, I realized it wasn't drumming, but someone banging on the door. From the force of it, it seemed like they wanted to tear down my courtyard gate. Fortunately, the main gate was made of iron; if it were wood, it would have been smashed to pieces.
"Coming... coming... Banging on the door like crazy this early in the morning, are you trying to summon my soul!"
I grabbed my phone to check the time. I had only slept for less than forty minutes. For a man who hadn't "grown up" yet, this was immense torture. No matter who it was today, if they didn't give me a reasonable explanation, I'd make them understand why flowers are so red.
In response to my curses, the banging outside intensified, as if they would break through the door if I didn't open it.
"Damn it, if you don't give me a reasonable explanation today, I'll make you compensate me for my nervous breakdown."
When I opened the main gate, I was greeted by two men, both over six feet tall, dressed in black suits and wearing large sunglasses. They were striking the pose of banging on the door.
"Who the hell are you! Banging on the door this early in the morning, disturbing my sleep. Aren't you afraid of having no sons?"
Despite my curses, the two men showed no reaction. They simply stepped aside, clearing a path. After they moved, I saw that many cars had appeared in front of the gate without me realizing it, and many people dressed similarly were standing around the vehicles.
If there had been a red carpet laid out in front of the cars, it would have looked like the leader of a country inspecting my home.
What the hell is going on? I was a bit stunned.
The cars I saw were much longer than ordinary cars. I had seen this type of car on TV; it looked like a stretched Lincoln from the United States. There were only a few such cars in China, and people who could use them were definitely extraordinary, as even with money, you might not be able to buy one.
This instantly made me think of Nannan. I secretly thought, could it be this coincidental? Were her parents powerful figures who governed a region?
At that moment, a bodyguard opened the car door, and a man in his late thirties or early forties emerged. He wore rimless gold-rimmed glasses, and his face was cold, but it couldn't hide his innate air of authority.
Following him was a young woman in her early thirties. She looked sorrowful, and her eyes were still somewhat red and swollen. Even so, it couldn't conceal her elegant demeanor. Standing together, they were a perfect match...
The man's steps were measured, but the young woman's were a bit quicker. Before she even reached the door, her voice could be heard.
"Excuse me, sir, did you call to inform us about information regarding our daughter?"
The woman's voice was gentle, the same as on the phone. At this point, I knew the man and woman in front of me were Nannan's parents.
I was stunned for a moment before replying, "Yes, it was me who called. Where did you come from, and how did you get here so quickly?"
"Where is my daughter? Where did you see her? If the clue is accurate, pay up immediately." Su Jiandong's attitude was completely different from the woman's. He spoke only of money, and the nauseating scent of coins made me want to curse, but I liked it.
"Please come in and talk. This matter is a bit peculiar, and I might need your help to find your daughter."
Upon hearing this, the woman stepped forward to enter the courtyard, but Su Jiandong stopped her. "No need to enter the courtyard. Just tell me the news." Su Jiandong's gloomy expression was like frost, giving me the feeling of "strangers, keep out, consequences at your own risk."
My face darkened, and I let out a cold snort, preparing to close the door.
Damn it, I was kindly trying to give them clues about their daughter, and they were giving me attitude right from the start. Did they really think I was a pushover?
If you want to find your daughter, fine. If not, then whatever. I'm not desperately begging you to find your daughter. I'm not serving you anymore! Get lost.
Seeing this, the woman quickly blocked the door with her hand and tugged at Su Jiandong. "Jiandong, what are you doing? Have you forgotten the purpose of our trip?" The woman's voice was tinged with tears again. If it weren't for me being present as an outsider, tears might have fallen at any moment.
Su Jiandong sighed, but his expression remained cold. "I apologize for my attitude just now. Please don't mind it."
He sighed, and I also breathed a sigh of relief. Damn it, this was a lot of money. Just providing a clue would get me a million, and if I saved their daughter's life, judging by their demeanor, it would be at least ten million, and that's on the low end.
I opened the door, preparing to let the couple in, but they didn't move. The two bodyguards who had been standing at the door entered first. This made me frown slightly, but then I thought that people who could afford so many bodyguards were likely not ordinary people.
The two bodyguards moved quickly. They searched the冥堂 (míngtáng - hall for mourning rituals), shuddered, and despite their discomfort, they thoroughly searched it. They didn't even spare the woolen rugs in the house. After finding nothing amiss, they let Su Jiandong in, then stood guard at the door like sentinels.
At the same time, all the other bodyguards dispersed, completely surrounding the small courtyard. It seemed that even a fly trying to get in would have to ask if it was there to eat shit or have tea.
After letting them in, I didn't rush to talk about Nannan. Instead, I plopped down on the reclining chair, squinted, and observed Su Jiandong and his wife, wondering if I should tell them the truth. The thoughts of important people could change unpredictably, and I was afraid that if I told them the truth, they would think I was a liar.
We remained in this standoff for two or three minutes before Su Jiandong finally broke the silence.
"Kid, I don't know how you got information about my daughter, nor do I care how you got it. Since you know, tell me. We can discuss the money. As long as the clue is accurate, I can double what was originally offered. If you try to trick me..."
Before Su Jiandong could finish, the woman interrupted him.
"Jiandong..."
This time, the woman could no longer hide the tears in her eyes, which rolled down her cheeks. Seeing this, Su Jiandong quickly took out a handkerchief, wiped her tears, and explained, "How many calls have we received during this time? Each one claimed to have seen her, but they all turned out to be scams. I... I can't help it, can I?"
Watching the tough guy instantly transform into a henpecked husband, I almost fell off the reclining chair. This change was too rapid! There was a problem with the character development!
Ignoring their display of affection, because they say eating too much "dog food" can lead to being single, I directly asked, "Do you believe in ghosts and spirits?"
"Ghosts and spirits? What are those?" The woman wiped her tears, looking at me with some surprise, then turned her gaze to Su Jiandong.
Conversely, Su Jiandong's body trembled slightly, and his eyes became sharp. His deeply furrowed brow indicated that he believed, or perhaps it meant he knew.
"Sir, are you an 'yinren'?"
'Yinren'? That sounds so awkward. Although I make a living in the 'yin' profession, I'm not an 'yinren.' 'Yinren' was an ancient term for eunuchs.
"I make a living in the yin-yang profession, not an 'yinren.' I am a Yin Gua Master."